The present invention relates to a window control system for controlling the operation of the windows of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a window control circuit or system incorporating a control assembly having a plurality of operator actuators such as switches or dials and visual indicators. The operator actuators and visual indicators allow a driver or passenger of the vehicle to raise or lower the windows to a desired position by simply moving the appropriate switch(es) or dial(s) to the desired position.
Power window and mirror systems are widely used in motor vehicles such as cars and trucks to enable the driver or passenger in the vehicle to raise or lower one or more windows, and to allow the vehicle operator to quickly and easily adjust the outside driver and passenger side mirrors of the vehicle. Typically, such systems employ various mechanical switches, one associated with each of the driver/front, passenger/front, driver/rear and passenger/rear windows.
Traditionally, to raise or lower a window, a driver or passenger holds the switch associated with the desired direction of movement of the window (i.e., either up or down) in an engaged position until the window reaches the desired position. Obviously, this requires the driver to watch the window to visually discern when the window is at the desired position. If the driver is adjusting a rear window of the vehicle, the driver will be required to turn and look in the direction of the window being adjusted to know when it has reached the desired position. This visual adjustment adds a degree of inconvenience to the adjustment of the windows for the driver or front seat passenger.
A further problem that may be associated with power window switches and a self positioning window system is the plurality of controls for an individual window. For example, a rear window may have driver controls and rear passenger controls. Accordingly, the position of a slide switch along a positioning slot in a driver control assembly will not necessarily be indicative of the position of a rear window if a rear occupant moves the window with his/her control switches. Automated movement of the slide switch positions to assure conformity between the driver control assembly and rear occupant controls would necessitate increased cost and complexity of the system. Thus, there is a need in the art for visual indication and augmented controls to assure multiple control conformity and agreement in a self positioning window system.
Additional control switches are also provided on at least the driver""s side door for conventional window control assemblies, enabling the driver and/or passenger to adjust the mirrors up, down, left, or right, as well as to select which mirror is to be adjusted. Other mechanical switches are also frequently employed such as window xe2x80x9clockoutxe2x80x9d switches, for example, which disable the window adjustment controls mounted on each door of the vehicle.
As can be appreciated, the significant number of mechanical switches and electrical wiring required for window and mirror control systems require a significant amount of the space to be used on and around the area of each vehicle door. The electrical wiring typically employed is also not very flexible, thus requiring that the switches be mounted fixedly to the door so that repeated flexing of the wires does not occur that could potentially result in an open or short circuit for one or more of the switches.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a window switch or dial assembly having a visual indicator which allows a vehicle occupant to precisely position a vehicle window at a desired position simply by sliding a switch or rotating a dial to a desired position. The visual indicator provides easily viewed window position feedback, thereby eliminating the need for the driver or passenger to physically watch the movement of the window to know when it reaches the desired position. Accordingly, the visual indicator provides window position feedback independent of switch or dial position to allow conformity and agreement between multiple control switches or dials controlling the position of a single window.
It is a further object to provide a compact window switch or dial assembly and associated control circuit that eliminates the need for bulky, mechanical control assemblies to be mounted in the interior door panels of the vehicle, thus enabling the window control assembly to be mounted in areas of an interior door panel where conventional control assemblies could not be easily mounted for lack of sufficient space.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a window control assembly which incorporates a flexible circuit board that allows the entire circuit board to be mounted such that it can be moved by a driver or occupant to gain access to an associated storage compartment, where the storage compartment.
It is also an object to provide a window switch or dial assembly having a flexible circuit board which enables the assembly to be mounted flush with a contoured portion of an interior door panel.
The present invention relates to a window actuator assembly, such as a switch or dial assembly, having visual indicators and associated control systems or circuits. The switch assembly incorporates a plurality of slide switches and a flexible circuit board, and the dial assembly incorporates a plurality of dials and a flexible circuit board. A plurality of position indicating light emitting diodes (LED""s) may be included with both the switch and dial assemblies. The number of active or lit LED""s may be used to indicate the degree to which a window has been opened by the switch or dial. The color of specific LED""s may be used to indicate whether the window is locked or unlocked. In a preferred embodiment, the slide switches or dials are associated one with each of the driver/front, passenger/front, driver/rear and passenger/rear windows of a motor vehicle. The preferred embodiment of the present invention also includes a mirror selector switch and switch controls for enabling a driver to adjust the driver and passenger side exterior mirrors as needed.
The slide switches or dials permit the driver or an occupant to quickly and easily adjust a window to a desired position by simply sliding the switch or rotating the dial to a desired position. There is no need to hold the switch or keep the dial engaged and to look at the window to determine when the switch needs to be released or the dial no longer needs to be rotated, as with conventional window controls. Accordingly, if the driver wishes to lower one of the rear windows half way, the appropriate switch is simply slid to the approximate halfway location in a slot and a pushbutton located in said switch is actuated to trigger a position command to the window position control system such that the position command may be executed. In a window control assembly equipped with dials, the dials need only be rotated to a desired position to change the position of the window. A visual indicator is included with the slide switch assembly and/or dial assembly to provide window position feedback independent of switch and dial position. The visual indicators allow the use of multiple control switches or dials for a single window by eliminating the need to view the position of the slide switch or the rotation of the dial to determine the window position.
The flexible circuit board of the present invention eliminates the need for bulky, conventional mechanical switch assemblies and also enables the entire switch or dial assembly to be mounted for movement on the interior door panel. In this manner, the switch or dial assembly can be easily moved to permit a driver or occupant to gain access to a storage compartment formed behind or underneath the switch assembly. The flexibility provided by the flexible circuit board permits mounting of the circuit board in this fashion without worry that repeated flexing might eventually cause shorting or an open circuit condition to occur, which would be a concern with switch assemblies coupled directly to a plurality of electrical wires.
The flexible circuit board also enables mounting along a contoured arm portion of an interior door panel such that the window switch or dial assembly blends in with the contour of the arm portion. Since the assemblies of the present invention are significantly more compact than previously developed window switch assemblies, it can also be mounted on areas of an interior door panel where conventional switch assemblies could not be mounted for lack of space.